Moments
by Lamaire Grey
Summary: “There are moments of strength and moments of weakness. My moment of strength was deciding to hate you as soon as I met you. My moment of weakness is right now…” DMHG
1. Here One Moment, Gone The Next

**Moments **

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Summary: A fight between Draco and Hermione causes them to miss the Hogwarts express. Now, stranded wandless and penniless in muggle London, Hermione finds herself teaching Draco just what it means to be muggle and that things aren't always the way the seem. A mixture of moments of action, adventure, despair, love, lust and humour. **

"**There are moments of strength and moments of weakness. My moment of strength was deciding to hate you as soon as I met you. My moment of weakness is right now…" **

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Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. ****

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Chapter One: ****Here One Moment, Gone The Next** _

* * *

They say in all those songs that time just stops  
But all I hear is just the ticking of the clock _

When I'm around you there's no wrong or right  
My mind feels like it's just seconds away from flight

Your breath on my face, I get shivers down my spine  
I can't fall asleep because tomorrow you won't be all mine

It's these moments you wish would just never end  
But it's those same damn moments seem to end before they begin

Why can I never see  
The things right in front of me  
Why can I never see  
Before I can no longer breathe

You touch me here and I touch you there  
You open up to me but then tell me not to stare

There's an innocence that I've never felt  
I ignore the truth, don't wanna fold the hand I've been dealt

Your lips so sweet and your hips so fine  
A good morning kiss as the alarm clock starts to chime

This night can never end but it's already done  
You whisper the words, the ones I knew were gonna come

It's these moments you wish would just never end  
But it's those same damn moments seem to end before they begin

"I knew today was too good to be true"

Hermione Granger paused as she made her way back towards the open entrance of the Hogwarts express. The train was always what first brought back those feelings of comfort and joy she experienced every time a new year started at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry.

However, she felt those feelings ebb away as the familiar sneering voice of Draco Malfoy fell on her unwilling ears. She turned and briskly walked towards the boy that stood, leaning lazily against an empty luggage cart and smirking something awful in her direction.

"Still allowing scum like you to attend Hogwarts are they? Shame, I thought Dumbledore might have had a wake up call over the summer" he added snidely to his previous comment.

"Ah yes. I did hear that daddy dearest had been to visit Professor Dumbledore. By wake up call I presume you mean throwing around idle threats and a couple of dark marks, hmm?"

Hermione was in no mood to be trifled with. This was her last year at Hogwarts, she was head girl and it was going to be perfect at all costs. Draco scowled at the Gryffindor girl, wondering what on earth had pissed her off so much. Oh yes, he thought with a grin, _I_ did.

"Accusations Granger, tut tut. And anyway what makes you think their idle?" Draco replied silkily, causing Hermione to scoff.

"No one in their right mind would dare try to do anything to Dumbledore. I mean even Voldemort's scared of him. What makes you think your dad is any braver?" She retorted then turned on her heel and flounced off back towards the train.

"Mione! You coming?"

Hermione looked up to see Ron Weasley hanging out of the train door, beckoning to her.

"Yeah. Be there in two seconds!" she called back, and then looked over her shoulder at Malfoy.

"I will not let you ruin what is going to be an amazing year Malfoy. Don't bother even attempting to get in the way" she warned, then added, "Now im going to find the new head boy"

Draco allowed her to walk a little further away and then, not being able to hold out any longer, called,

"You won't have to look far will you then Granger!"

Hermione felt the blood rush away from her cheeks, turning her deathly pale. He had to be joking.

One look at Malfoy's gloating and smug expression told her he wasn't.

"No way! You! How- what the hell-?" she stumbled over her words, staring blankly at the Slytherin. She broke her gaze however, when his smug grin had turned into a small "o" of surprise and his eyes widened.

Spinning round, she saw the scarlet steam engine rock into a steady motion and the sound of its engines and whistles sounding.

"No!" she cried, starting to run after it. She could hear Draco's footsteps increasing in speed behind her and gathered he'd broken into a run same as her. She wished she could stop and laugh at the sight of Draco Malfoy, who normally never moved faster then a tauntingly arrogant saunter, running like a man possessed.

The Hogwarts express pulled out of the station and disappeared round the grassy bank and out of sight. Hermione jogged to a standstill, panting and red in the face. She heard Draco come to a halt behind her as well and stared in desperation at the non existent train. It had left without her!

"This is all your fault!" she rounded on Malfoy, who glared at her, in spite of a stitch and trying desperately to catch his breath.

"How… How'd you figure that one out Granger?" he retorted angrily.

"You and your bloody minded taunts! If you had a shred of decency in you and didn't need to insult everyone you saw perhaps we wouldn't have missed the bloody train!" she roared.

"Language mudblood" mocked Draco, still insufferable even now.

"Same to you!" she snapped back, and then stared around her wildly.

"How are we going to get to school? We must contact a teacher!" she cried in frustration.

"Oh very sensible! _Dear professor McGonagall, we seem to have missed the train as we were too busy arguing to notice it leaving!"_ Draco sang in a high pitched and extremely accurate impression of Hermione's shrill voice that she used when worried.

"We'll be in detention before we even step into the castle. I thought you Gryffindor's were meant to have some brains. Although Potter and Weasley are the obvious exceptions" he added, just to infuriate Hermione.

"Oh shut up and let me think" she yelled and he shrugged, flopping elegantly onto the luggage cart he'd previously been leaning upon.

After a minute Hermione's head snapped up and she turned to him.

"We contact the teachers" Draco made to interrupt but she stopped him.

"We contact the teacher's separately, both saying we've missed the train because we were late. That way we don't get into trouble and we both get to be picked up as soon as possible" she finished and glanced at the boy sat on the cart.

He shrugged.

"Okay. But how are we going to contact the teachers? Were in the middle of muggle London if you hadn't noticed" he challenged her and Hermione frowned.

Dammit.

* * *

"What in Merlin's name is that? What are those?!" 

Hermione would have laughed at Draco's amazement at the muggle cash machine, which was now spitting out the last remains of Hermione's muggle money, if she hadn't still been so worried about missing the start of the school year. How was it going to look if they didn't turn up! They were the head boy and girl for Merlin's sake!

"It's a cash machine. These are muggle notes – money" she explained slowly as if to a child.

"Well if your going to be patronising" Draco's arrogant air was back, as was his scowl.

"And if your going to be annoying and childish then you can make your own way to Diagon alley" she retorted, " why don't you just call your father anyway?" she asked and Draco shot her a furious glare.

"He is away on business" he stated simply.

"Okay what about your mother?" Hermione was curious now.

"She doesn't leave Malfoy manor" he replied with such finality in his voice that Hermione was frightened to question him any further.

They walked in silence towards a green bus stop and seated themselves on the plastic bench.

"What about your parents?" Draco asked casually, picking invisible lint off his sweater. Hermione had persuaded him to remove his robes, which were now stuffed under Hermione's arm along with her own.

"They'd only panic if I told them I'd missed the train. They worry enough about this whole magic thing as it is" she replied, her tone refusing to let up on mirroring Draco's cold one.

He didn't reply.

"What is this?" he asked suddenly gesturing at the bus shelter.

"It's a bus shelter. Were waiting for a bus. Like a train but smaller and with wheels. Muggle transport" she explained, in her teaching voice. The same one she used for first years, younger years when in the library and Harry and Ron when they hadn't done their homework.

"Stop using the voice" said Draco through gritted teeth.

"What voice?" asked Hermione, raising an eyebrow.

"The irritating one you use when telling me something I don't know. The one you just used"

"I do not have a voice!" cried Hermione in outrage.

"Yes you do and its more annoying then Pansy Parkinson's bedroom voice!" Draco retorted, and then blushed almost angrily.

"I really did not need to know that!" cried Hermione in horror and jumped up as fast as she could when she saw the bus approach.

"Two singles to lower North Street please" she ordered before dragging Draco to the back of the bus, which he was treating with a fair amount of trepidation.

As the bus trundled through the busy London streets, Hermione couldn't help but become more and more bemused by Draco's obvious fascination for everything muggle he saw.

At first he had tried to ignore the cars and the box of light bulbs in a woman's carrier bag and the post boxes, but after a while had given up the attitude and had begun to exclaim at everything, asking Hermione to explain it to him. And she did so, trying not to use what he called her "bossy" voice.

* * *

Eventually they pulled up in the street that hid the concealed entrance to Diagon Alley and hurried along it, spotting the Leaky Cauldron immediately and diving inside. 

"Hello Tom" Hermione greeted the elderly barman warmly.

"Ah, Miss Hermione. Why's you not in school?" he croaked and Hermione rolled her eyes, and resting them on Draco who was looking around the bar in disdain. Hermione guessed that he'd only flitted through here before, not pausing to get a good look at the cobwebs. Tom's gaze followed Hermione's and he nodded in understanding.

"Bit of an argument was there lass?" he said, not so much a question but a statement. Hermione smiled grimly.

"Can we buy two owl posts to Hogwarts and a room for the night?" she asked.

"We're not staying here!"

Draco had finally spoken up, after processing the inside of the bar thoroughly. Hermione glared at him.

"Don't be so rude!" she hissed but Draco just raised an eyebrow at her non-plussed.

"Well lad, you could try the other bars but this time of year their all full – beginning of school and such. Muggle parents like to stay up here instead of journeying all the way home in the same day - Can't just floo like the rest of us" tom said, wheezily.

"I, however, have one spare room left. Miss Hermione, would you care to take it? I could escort the young man out" he offered, grinning evilly at Draco, baring his missing tooth. Draco gulped. Hermione grinned wickedly.

Draco took one look at Hermione's calculating smile and frowned.

"Granger. Don't even think about it-"he warned, and Hermione could see that the thought of him being left to fend for himself in muggle London actually worried him more then he cared to admit.

"It's alright Tom. I think we'll allow Mr. Malfoy to stay. We'll share the room." She replied, turning to smile at the barman, who shot Draco a reproachful look.

"I'll make up the room accordingly then Miss. I'll fetch you your owls"

* * *

After they had eaten bowls of soup quickly made up fro them by Tom and washed it down with mugs of butter beer, Hermione announced she was going to bed. Draco didn't reply and felt her leave in a rush of annoyance and hatred for him. 

He didn't know how long he had sat staring out over muggle London, which he could watch with fascination from within the safe confines of the bar, but it obviously couldn't have been as long as he'd first suspected as when he reached the room which they were sharing, he found Hermione sitting crossed legged on one of the beds pushed up against the far wall. She had removed her tie and school sweater and shirt, leaving just a white camisole top and her skirt on for bedclothes. Their robes were slung over the back of a rickety wooden chair that stood in one corner.

"Tom left us some toothpaste and soap in the bathroom" she said, indicating to a door on her right. Draco nodded and disappeared into the adjoining room.

"I've got Dumbledore's replies to our letters. He says he'll pick me up at platform 9 ¾ tomorrow afternoon at four pm. I guess your's will say the same."

"Four? What will we do in the mean time? Why can't they come earlier?!" he sounded outraged.

"Malfoy it's the begging of the school year – their probably really busy with timetables and first years. And of course all the new security changes. Four o'clock is fine" she replied bossily.

"But this is me! Head boy! Ive got a right to demand to be picked up earlier!" he cried.

"Get over yourself Malfoy! Who died and made you king of the world?!" Hermione snapped.

"Jealous of my pureblood statue hmm Granger"

"As if. Ron's a pureblood and you don't see him demanding attention left right and centre because of it. You're an insufferable git! Pure blooded or not!"

And without another word Hermione put the letter aside and climbed under her covers, fuming at the blond boy.

Draco stomped around the room for a couple more minutes until Hermione lobbed the alarm clock at him from her bedside table and he crept quietly into his own bed.

* * *

"Ugh" 

Hermione rolled over and slowly opened her eyes. She didn't remember Hogwarts being so uncomfortable. Or the bed being quite so small. Or sharing a dorm with Malfoy.

"Holy crap!" she yelled and in her haste to get out of bed, fell straight over the bed sheets in a tangled mess.

"Granger? Granger! You alive?"

Hermione heard Draco's highly amused voice from where she lay on the wooden floor.

"Yeah" she called back. A pause.

"Shame".

"Oh go to hell Malfoy" she retorted angrily, at being awoken in such a manner. Clambering to her feet she grabbed her clothes from the chair and stalked past his bed into the bathroom.

She heard the door of the room open and shut as she immersed herself under the steamy hot water of the shower.

After showering and drying, Hermione pulled on her shirt and sweater and smoothed out the creases in her skirt, wishing she had her wand on her. She re-entered the bedroom to find Malfoy hidden behind the daily prophet.

"Anything interesting?" she asked, attempting to reconcile the argument from earlier.

"Get your own paper Granger" was his only response. Hermione glared at him through the paper, wondering whether she could get away with murdering him.

"Glaring at me won't help your cause" Draco snapped, then finished reading the article he'd been scouring and handed the paper to her, causing her to emit a small "o" of surprise.

"Don't get it dirty" he said maliciously as he pulled on his robes.

Hermione didn't bother to reply, but instead scanned the first few pages of the magical newspaper. There were the usual stories of break-ins, sightings of death eaters and the one about a dark mark. Hermione sighed at the overall negative tone of the news and flicked to the last pages. The Chudley canons had been relegated again, Ron wouldn't be happy and…

She paused, reading the small article on page seven of the paper.

"_**Unspeakable's Speak! "**_

"_A report was leaked from the department of mysteries yesterday, containing the information stating the intent of searching the homes of the major wizarding families in search of missing pieces of a historical article which is claimed to be of great magical power; although this was only claimed by Mr. Lovegood of Quibbler magazine and is not being treated as significant. The more pressing problem is the break of silence by the unspeakable, Mr. Hubert Jones, who started his career….."_

Hermione stopped reading as the article went on to describe the Unspeakable's life, and flicked back to the front page and reread the article about the dark mark being seen.

"_Ministry officials were called to the home of a Mrs. Gertrud Jones, who was the victim of death eaters early yesterday morning."_

Hermione made sure Draco wasn't looking in her direction, then quickly ripped out the two coinciding articles and pocketed them to show Harry and Ron later.

"Granger! Hello – Earth to Granger!"

Hermione snapped back from her conspiracy theories to see Malfoy waving his arms in front of her face.

"Im going to Gringotts and then to get lunch"

"Oh right. Ill come too" she said quickly.

"It wasn't an invitation Granger" _Draco_ drawled, but Hermione was already half way along the corridor. Draco shook his head and then resigned himself to following her.

* * *

Lunch had been a strained affair, with Draco trying to look uninterested and disgusted at being seen with a muggleborn and Hermione desperately trying to join the two articles she had found causing her to be clumsier then usual and completely distracted. 

"Granger! For Merlin's sake, stop knocking the bloody water over!" Draco exploded finally, as Hermione sent the jug flying for the third time, and he mopped up the spillage with his napkin.

"Sorry… im just… distracted" she muttered, up righting the jug. But Draco was no longer listening. Hermione followed his eye line and saw it land on a figure, dressed in a long blue robe, hurrying towards Knock turn alley. She couldn't quite decide who the figure looked like, but she was sure he was familiar.

"What on earth is Rufus Delaney up to?" murmured Draco and Hermione racked her memories for face to fit the name.

"Fifth year Slytherin!" she exclaimed, finding her recollection of the particularly nasty Slytherin boy.

"Why's he not at school?" she asked, more to herself then Draco.

"Exactly what I intend to find out" Draco replied, standing up abruptly and marching towards Knock turn alley.

"Malfoy! What are you doing!?" Hermione cried, hurrying after him. "You cant go down there! It's…its dangerous…."

She trailed off as Draco raised his eyebrows at her.

"Yeah alright – I guess it suits you fine" she said remembering that this was Draco Malfoy after all. He probably attended birthday parties with Satan.

"You don't have to come you know" Draco snapped as he skulked into the alley. Hermione dithered at the entrance for a few more seconds then stepped in after him.

"Im not going to hang around outside waiting for you am I" she muttered furiously.

"Fine. Just shut up and try not to make a scene"

Hermione pouted but fell silent. Knock turn alley was possibly the most depressing place she'd ever experienced. The sunlight seemed to skip over it as if it feared to come inside. There were low stone arches over the cobbled street, which cast gloomy shadows on the path and occasionally Hermione stepped round what looked like patches of blood on the cobbles.

They halted opposite a dreary looking shop, whose sign swung I nthe chilly breeze.

Borgin and Burkes.

"Stay here, im going to have a word with Delaney" Draco instructed then stalked towards the shop. Hermione shivered and flattened herself against the wall behind her, attempting to hide herself from the passer-by's who grew stranger and more dangerous looking by the minute.

* * *

"Morning Mr. Borgin. Nice day isn't it?" Draco greeted the shopkeeper with an smirk, then turned to Rufus, who had frozen at the sound of Draco's voice. 

"Good morning Rufus – Skipping school? Tut tut" he turned to the fifth year boy, treating him to his most evil of smiles. Rufus gulped despite himself.

"I was just leaving" he stammered and dived towards the exit of the shop.

"Im sure you were!" called Draco over his shoulder at the boy, before turning to the shopkeeper.

"Now then Mr. Borgin. What exactly was Mr. Delaney buying?" he asked, danger glinting like shards of glass in his grey eyes.

"he wasn't buying anything Master Draco, sir"

Draco raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Oh really" he drawled. "Then why is the till open?" he indicated to a dusty till, whose money tray lay wide open.

Borgin's eyes flashed to the till and then widened in fear as Draco smirked again and dipped his hand into the pocket of his robes. Borgin wasn't to know that his and was safely stored at the bottom of his trunk which was sat in his dormitory in the Slytherin dungeons.

"Okay Master Draco sir. Mr. Delaney was selling, not buying if you must know"

"Selling? What did he sell you?" Draco's eyes flashed, his smirk gone.

"Well to be honest im not sure what it's from, but it was radiating magical power so I though I might as well…" The balding shop keeper trailed off as he produced a parcel about the size of a matchbox from beneath the counter and showed Draco the contents.

A small shiny metal object, coated in elaborate designs lay in the tissue paper. It was rounded at the top and spread out into a wide triangle at the base, looking very much like a key hole.

Draco picked it up and scrutinized it. Why would Rufus be selling this? It was obviously dark magic and with the ministry on the look out for dark objects in the homes of those families connected with the dark lord, Rufus must be getting scared.

"How much?" Draco asked. Borgin stared at him, calculating how much he thought Draco would pay and the profit he could make. Then paused.

"I can't sell it to _you_" he muttered darkly.

"How much?" repeated Draco, so coldly Borgin shivered.

"Sixty galleons" he said at last.

"I'll give one hundred. Forty for your silence Borgin" and he wrote a wizarding cheque for the sum and stamped it with the Malfoy crest ring that he wore on his right hand, using the emerald wax Borgin offered him. The binding magical payment complete, Draco pocketed his purchase and made to look at a selection of cursed brooches, when he heard the scream.

* * *

What was taking Malfoy so long! Hermione thought as the wizards passing shot her malevolent leers. She shrunk back towards the wall, turning to see if she could spot the exit to Diagon alley anywhere, and came face to face with a wizard baring his missing teeth at her. 

Hermione screamed in her fright, falling backwards over a discarded owl cage, and attempted to grab a hold of the window ledge beside her, screaming again when she felt the soft flesh of her palm tear as it scraped a nail sticking out of the wood.

"Granger! What the hell!" Draco had dashed out of Borgin and burkes at the sound of her scream.

"Leave her!" he commanded of the toothless wizard was eyeing Hermione Hogwarts robes with malice, but who skulked away when he caught sight of Draco's family crest ring.

"You alright?" Draco asked and Hermione slowly clambered to her feet. She nodded.

"Let's get out of here" she whispered clutching at her hand. Draco's eyes fell on the covered palm and gently prised her fingers away from it and watched as a dark stream of blood seeped out of the deep wound and pooled in the contours of her hand. She winced as he prodded the area around the wound, pushing the dark blood out of the opening.

"Cursed doorways" he muttered as he allowed the blood to seep out until it turned the usual bright colour. Hermione instantly felt the pain lessen a little bit and sighed with relief.

"Come" Draco pulled her towards one of the shops along the cobbled street and strode inside and up the stairs to the living quarters of the shop owners.

"Lucille, im just using the sink a minute" he called to the large lady who seemed to be asleep behind the counter, but who muttered her acceptance of them as they passed her.

Up in the tiny bathroom, Draco washed the wound out and after rummaging through the cabinets above the sink he covered it with a foul smelling gel and then bandaged it tightly.

"Sit still" he commanded as Hermione flinched.

Hermione watched him closely as he washed his hands in the sink and placed the items he'd borrowed back in the cabinets.

"Thank you" she said, as he turned back to face her. He gave her a curt nod and then indicated that they should leave.

"Thank you Lucile. I'll see you at Christmas?" the woman nodded but still didn't open her eyes.

* * *

"So what was Rufus up to?" Hermione asked. "Did he buy anything?" her mind was working overtime as it often did when she, Harry and Ron discovered a mystery. Draco said nothing for a minute, then; 

"He was selling" he said in hushed tones. He had been about to pull out the parcel but paused and shoved it deeper into his pocket.

"Don't know what" he added, lying easily to the Gryffindor who looked faintly disappointed.

"He left in quite a hurry. Dropped all his folders" she commented and Draco stopped walking.

"Papers?" he asked. Hermione nodded.

"A big folder of them. He had them under his arm"

And under his cloak, Draco thought. Damn him! He cursed mentally. What had he missed.

"Did he leave any of them?" Draco asked casually and Hermione made a strangled noise, which she turned into a cough.

"No. No he didn't. Picked them all up" she lied, clasping the fragment of paper he'd left, inside her pocket.

Draco accepted her answer and they moved out into the bright sunlight of Diagon alley, both blinking furiously and neither noticing Rufus watching them from across the street.

* * *

At four o'clock that afternoon, Hermione and Draco waited separately on the platform for their transport back to Hogwarts. It came exactly on the hour in the form of one of the horseless carriages, which Hermione now knew to be pulled by thestral's and not horses at all. She watched as Draco eyes did not stop at the end of the carriage as her's did, but followed the line of what Hermione could only suppose s the invisible thestral. The hollow look in his eyes made her wonder who he had seen die, then decided she didn't want to know. 

The door of the carriage opened and professor Flitwick toppled out.

"Good afternoon students!" he cried, his top hat wobbling precariously. "aren't you naughty, missing the train! Well climb in, climb in!" he squeaked and Draco and Hermione clambered into the carriage and spread out over its spacious seats. The carriage trundled out of the station and soared slowly upwards as the thestral took flight.

After a couple of hours, and long after Flitwick had fallen asleep, Hermione stooped staring out over the countryside below and turned to face Draco, whose eyes were shut, although he was not asleep.

"Thank you for helping me back there" she said.

"You've already said that" Draco replied, his eyes still closed.

"I know, but it... I just… it was nice of you" she said meekly. Draco opened one eye.

"Unexpected you mean" he corrected and Hermione nodded dumbly.

"My dad used to tell me to sit still as well when he was trying to clean up cuts and scrapes" Hermione twittered, breaking the silence. "Then he'd always feel guilty and buy me ice cream and kiss the wound better" she laughed at the memory, then turned to face the window again.

Draco didn't shut his eyes this time, but focused on the girl opposite him. He found her muggle stories infuriating and curious a the same time. His childhood had been so different. He shook this line of thought to the back of his mind and stared down at his hands instead for the remainder of the journey.

* * *

Dark had fallen by the time they reached the Hogwarts grounds and leaving Hermione to wake professor Flitwick, Draco strode on ahead towards Dumbledore's office, where they had a meting scheduled. 

"Malfoy – wait up! Ive got the password"

Draco paused at the top of the steps as Hermione dashed up them after him.

"Flitwick said Dumbledore will be there in a few minutes and we should just wait inside. The password is "candy broomsticks"" she explained and made to pass him.

"Granger"

Hermione looked over at the blond boy.

"Hope this gets better" he said indicating to her palm, then in a flash he'd brought her hand to his lips, brushing them across the bandage hiding the wound and strode off down the corridor, leaving Hermione floundering in the entrance hall.

* * *

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	2. The Power Of Love And The Love Of Power

**Moments **

**

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Summary: A fight between Draco and Hermione causes them to miss the Hogwarts express. Now, stranded wandless and penniless in muggle London, Hermione finds herself teaching Draco just what it means to be muggle and that things aren't always the way the seem. A mixture of moments of action, adventure, despair, love, lust and humour. **

"**There are moments of strength and moments of weakness. My moment of strength was deciding to hate you as soon as I met you. My moment of weakness is right now…" **

**

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Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. ****

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Chapter One: For The Power Of Love And The Love Of Power**

_For all the hours here that move to slow  
There's all this letting go, that won't pass  
If all this love is real, how will we know?  
And if were only scared of losing it, how will it last?_

Hermione stood in the entrance hall, her thoughts spinning at an alarming rate. Draco Malfoy had just kissed her palm… Now this was all very well and good, if she'd been a giddy Slytherin girl, desperate to bed the infamous pureblood prince. But she was Hermione Granger, for Merlins' sake! A Gryffindor, a muggle born and his sworn enemy… What on earth had possessed him to do that? Her anecdote in the carriage had been just a random thought, spoken aloud carelessly, not an invitation.

"Miss Granger? Are you alright my dear? The headmaster is waiting for you,"

Professor Flitwicks' high voice snapped her out of her hurricane of thoughts and the entrance hall swam back into focus and she nodded in acknowledgement.

"Of course Professor. I'm on my way," she replied hastily and broke into a run, as she made her way to Dumbledore's office.

* * *

"Ah miss Granger! Welcome, welcome. I trust your journey was a good one?"

Dumbledore had stood up from behind his desk as Hermione had burst into the oval shaped office, and she shook his hand warmly as he strode across the room to greet her.

"Yes, very good professor thank you," she assured him, "I'm sorry I'm late. I was…er..."

She faltered, but Dumbledore saved her from any further explanations as he motioned for her to sit.

As she flopped into the squashy armchair opposite Dumbledore's desk, Hermione took in her surroundings for the first time and marvelled at how comforting the headmasters' office was. It felt like coming home to a giant bear hug and hot cocoa. The fireplace was erupting with flames that lit up the room and spread warmth like chocolate after an encounter with a Dementor and the walls were lined with the millions of books and papers that Hermione had always itched to get her hands on.

She also found herself musing on her companion since the incident in the hallway, not ten minutes ago. Draco sat still and silent, his eyes closed and his body turned slightly towards the flickering fireplace. Strands of his fine blond hair fell across his forehead and the illuminating glow from the flames made him seem almost ethereal. If Hermione didn't know better, she wouldn't have believed an ounce of evil could have ever laid a finger on the boy beside her. Maybe that was the brainwave however. He was the perfect ambassador for evil.

"Now then, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger," Dumbledore began to speak and Hermione shifted in her chair and felt Draco do the same; both of them sitting on the edge of their seats as so not to miss a word.

"Firstly, I'd like to congratulate you on your new positions. The positions of head boy and girl are those much envied and coveted among the student body and have been for generations. Those who hold them do so because of the remarkable talent, compassion and loyalty shown to their schoolmates, house and to Hogwarts itself."

Hermione bit back a derisive laugh. Since when had Malfoy ever shown any compassion to another? As for loyalty… well maybe to his own house, but not to Hogwarts. He was the son of a death eater and the heir to that particular family business. However, she had to admit, grudgingly, that he had talent. She'd seen his work with her own eyes and he was good. Leisurely, almost lazy in his efforts, he seemed to produce perfect results without trying. She detested him for it.

"Previous heads have gone on to become highly successful witches and wizards, and you too will be extended every courtesy, in order that you too may achieve what you set out to. I tell you this not because of my pride in my students successes, but because there is high expectation placed on the heads, especially when it comes to behaviour towards each other and their duty to unify the houses of Hogwarts. Before term officially starts I need to ask of you both whether or not you can manage to work together effectively, or do I have to reassess the situation?"

Hermione looked at Dumbledore in horror. He was really giving them this ultimatum – get on or lose out? She glanced across at Draco, who was also viewing the headmaster with the same look of disbelief. He caught her eye and shrugged.

"I'm in," he spoke up. Dumbledore smiled warmly at him and then turned his attentions to Hermione.

"Me too," she agreed, her voice an almost inaudible whisper.

"Marvellous!" Dumbledore enthused, and beamed at both of them. "Now then, head duties!"

* * *

It was late that evening when Hermione finally reached the warmth of the Gryffindor common room. The meeting with Dumbledore had lasted a good two hours and they had discussed a host of items, including prefect duties, Christmas festivities and the plans for the following spring. She had expected a lot of work as head girl but she had a few new duties to add to her already extensive list. It had been decided that she and Draco would patrol the corridors on weekend nights, leaving the rest of the week free for head duties and school work.

"Mione! There you are! I can't believe you missed the train! The driver refused to go back and pick you up – we tried though…"

Ron's voice instantly lifted the weight of head duties from Hermione's shoulders as she entered the common room and spotted her best friends.

"Were you okay in London last night? I heard you got picked up with Malfoy. How come he missed the train?"

Harry had now joined the conversation, though with less buoyancy as Ron, whose energy was making Hermione feel quite exhausted.

"To tell the truth, Malfoy and I had a bit of an argument on the platform and that's why we missed the train… but you can't say anything about it. Were supposed to be "getting along" for the sake of our head boy and girl positions," Hermione filled them in, quietly.

"Malfoy's head boy!" Ron yelped as if he'd juts been struck with a red hot poker.

"That's insane – what was professor Dumbledore thinking?!," he continued, fuming. Hermione glanced at Harry, who seemed to accept this news without much fuss.

"You alright Harry?" she asked as Ron fumed about the head boy situation to anyone who'd listen. Harry nodded.

"Of course. I'm just tired. You missed a good feast last night Mione, but I'm glad you're here safely," he smiled at her and she returned the gesture.

"You already knew, didn't you," she stated frankly and the dark haired boy nodded.

"I was in correspondence with Dumbledore most of the summer," he informed her.

"And…?" she probed him further but he shook his head.

"I will tell you, but here. There is a mountain of secrets in the corridors of Hogwarts right now and I don't know the half of them. Dumbledore tells me the very minimum. But I will tell you," he promised.

Hermione took in his tired expression, his furrowed brow and worried eyes and knew to ask nothing more. Harry may have been told just the bare minimums but those secrets were enough to cause hours of worrying, she knew.

"When you're ready," she agreed.

"Tomorrow," he promised, then excused himself to bed.

Not long after Harry left the common room, Ron disappeared up the boys staircase after his friend. Maybe Ron already knew what was on Harry's mind, but she'd wait patiently till he divulged them to her himself.

It was early the following morning before Hermione retired to bed. She worked late into the night creating plans for her prefects, who she would be addressing the next morning, putting the finishing touches to her summer essays and writing a couple of letters to various parties who might help her with the plans for the spring.

Curling up in her four poster bed, she felt at ease and fell asleep easily. That night she dreamt of nothing.

* * *

Draco Malfoy tossed and turned in his bedroom in the Slytherin dungeon. He was being plagued by his subconscious again. Tonight he dreamt of his childhood. A subject he hadn't believed his mind would have the courage to unearth. He was in a park, playing with some of the muggle children from the nearby town. The boy's names were Henry and Samuel. He remembered them clearly. They'd been playing on the roundabout when his father had appeared out of nowhere.

"Come Draco. Time to leave." His father had called to him and Draco had pouted.

"I don't want to leave. I'm having fun, father! Come and meet my friends!" he'd called back, grinning at the two muggle boys.

His father had shown a fury like none other when he'd learnt of his son's involvement with common muggles. The boys had not been spared.

Draco awoke to their final screams and bolted upright in his bed, sweat dripping down his forehead and torso. He tore off the covers and propelled himself out of bed and into the bathroom, where he threw up into the sink.

Washing his face afterwards and running the tap to mask his shaky breaths from his dorm mates, he stared back at his reflection.

He couldn't do this any longer. He knew it would be bad but this was too much to handle. Betraying the dark lord, even without his knowledge, would eventually kill him. He'd always been warned by his father, by Snape, by the dark lord himself. The history books supported it, the death eaters lived by it. Live for him or don't live at all. The motto that was now the bane of Draco's seventeenth year was coming true. His lack of sleep would kill him slowly and painfully. But he had no other choice did he. He chosen his fate and he would stand by it. Whether it killed him or not.

His stormy grey eyes scoured his reflection in disgust. The well sculpted good looks he'd once held sacred, the same ones that had allowed him to bask in other people's adoration and envy were now simply the mask hiding the evil. The face of an angel… What a cruel, twist of irony that was.

He splashed his face with water once again and silenced the taps as his breathing fell back into its normal, stable rhythm. Drying his face, he pulled on a sweater and pants over his boxers and left the stillness of the dormitory.

* * *

"Hermione! Mione! Ah crap! What is up with this staircase?!"

The sound of Ron's voice and descent down the girl's staircase, as it transformed itself into a slide in order to prevent boys from accessing the girl's dormitories, woke Hermione rather violently from her deep slumber.

"What the hell, Ronald Weasley?" she groaned as she threw her dressing gown over her night clothes and made her way out onto the landing.

"Erm... the prefects are waiting for you in the great hall….its ten past nine."

"It's what?!" Hermione screeched as she glanced at her watch and realised that Ron was correct for once.

"Oh my god, I'm late! I'm the worst head girl ever! I bet Malfoy's loving this!" she threw her various comments around as she threw on her jeans, a sweater and her robe, before joining Ron in the common room.

"Er Mione… hair?" he suggested tentatively, eyeing her birds nest look.

"I'm a head girl, not a Barbie girl, Ron," Hermione snorted, yanking her tangle of curls into an elastic band at the nape of her neck.

* * *

"Sorry I'm late everyone!" Hermione apologized as she swept into the great hall and addressed her new prefects. She knew the majority of them, the Gryffindor's, Ron and Parvati, Lisa Turpin and Terry boot from Ravenclaw and Hannah Abbott from Hufflepuff. The Slytherin prefects were Pansy Parkinson and another boy, who she believed to be Malcolm Baddock, but she wasn't sure. She didn't recognize the Hufflepuff boy at all.

"Ah Granger, nice of you to turn up… at last. We were wondering whether or not you had survived the night. I see my lucks out," Draco's voice stopped Hermione's thoughts and she glared at him.

"Even you can't have everything you want," she snapped in reply.

"No, just most things," he hissed back, "Lost your badge already have we, Granger?"

Hermione glanced down and felt her stomach sink as she remembered shed left her badge on her night stand. She was not making a good first impression at all.

"You could borrow mine?" Draco offered and she snorted.

"It says head boy, ferret face," she reminded him. Draco gave her a once over with his grey eyes, letting them linger on her unruly hair.

"Well you're not the height of femininity now, are you…" he smirked and Pansy Parkinson let out a titter.

"Shall we get started?" Ron asked tentatively, breaking up the argument and Hermione blushed slightly and nodded.

"Of course. My apologizes, once again, for being late. Now then I have the schedules here for prefect duties, which include castle patrolling, Hogsmede duty and general assistance to the head boy and girl when needed. You will be divided into pairs for patrol duty. Ron and Hannah on Mondays, Pansy and Terry boot on Tuesdays, Lisa and Dustin on Wednesdays-"

The unknown boy, Dustin, smiled back at Hermione as she read his name and she noticed for the first time how attractive he was. She shook this thought from her mind as she finished the rota.

"Malcolm and Parvati on Thursdays and on Fridays the group of sixth year prefects will patrol together. They are Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Ernie Fielding and Richard Ulealy. Myself and Mal- Draco will patrol Saturday and Sunday evenings. Any questions?"

The prefects shook their heads and Hermione smiled in relief. She'd been expecting some resentment for matching up pairs from different houses. She felt a little sorry for Terry who had been paired with the obnoxious and vain Pansy Parkinson, but it couldn't be helped.

"Now then, there will be a Christmas ball this year, for fifth, sixth and seventh years only. It is being held on Christmas Eve, because on Christmas morning a select group of seventh years will be departing for a month's tuition at a neighbouring school, namely Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Myself and Malf–Draco are going, as well as four other students who have shown remarkable talent over the past year. In the month that we are gone, Ron and Lisa will be acting head boy and girl and classes will continue as normal."

Ron beamed up at Hermione as she announced this and Hermione caught pansy shooting Draco a very dangerous look out of the corner of her eye.

With all the plans discussed, the prefects left slowly, discussing where and when they would meet for patrol duties, until it was just Hermione, Draco and Pansy left in the room.

Hermione watched slyly, over her timetables, as Draco and Pansy had a heated but whispered argument. He watched as Pansy sighed dramatically and crossed her arms, and then allowed Draco to kiss her cheek, before stomping out of the hall. Hermione raised an eyebrow at Draco as he neared the table and slid into the seat opposite her.

"What?" he snapped at hew and she shrugged.

"Nothing," She replied, pretending she hadn't witnessed the disagreement.

"She's just upset," he said eventually, defending his on – off girlfriend. Hermione nodded.

"I'm sure. Her life must be very upsetting," Hermione replied in a mock understanding tone. Draco glowered at her.

"Don't mock what you don't know about, Granger," he warned and Hermione rolled her eyes, but returned to her work.

As far as Hermione could see Pansy Parkinson had no right to throw a tantrum about anything. She was one of those girls who got everything they wanted. Fascinatingly beautiful, wealthy and intelligent she was envied and desired.

"I sent some letters last night. There's a wizarding band from Bulgaria that are meant to be good. I thought for the Christmas ball-"

"The Ridgebacks?"

"Yeah, something like that – Viktor knows them. I asked them to play. Makes a change from the weird sisters," she added, still lost in her patrol timetables. Draco frowned at the fact that she knew a famous quidditch star and he didn't, but had to admit that the Ridgebacks were a lot more popular then the weird sisters nowadays.

"Sounds fine to me. Are we having a theme? Dumbledore suggested a theme – To... er... liven it up," he quoted the headmaster. Hermione scratched her nose with her quill and sighed.

"I'll add it to my list of things to do," she replied, writing the word "theme" on to her growing list.

"I think of the theme," Draco said, and Hermione bit her lip in concern.

"I think I'm able to come up with one suitable idea granger. I am rather intelligent you know…" he smirked, causing a shiver of irritation up her spine. God he was so pompous.

"Fine then. You think of the theme. We'll discuss the plans next week," she gave in.

"We'll discuss them when I'm ready Granger," Draco corrected and Hermione glared at him. He returned the glare.

"This meeting is over," he said finally and swept his papers together and into his school bag.

"Whatever," Hermione replied flatly and waited to hear the sound of him leave so she could relax.

"Tell me, is this any better?"

Hermione jumped a little as Draco was suddenly beside, holding her hand in is, examining where she'd cut it on the door frame in Knockturn alley.

She held her breath as he traced a finger lightly over the shape of the scar that was now forming.

"X marks he spot," he murmured, still tracing its shape, and then he glanced at her.

"It's better," she replied.

"Good," he replied curtly, dropping her hand onto the table top and sweeping out of the great hall.

Hermione sat there stunned into silence for a couple of seconds before glancing at her hand and examining it more closely. The scar that marred the palm of her hand was not a simple cut but one in the shape of a X. Draco's words echoed in her mind as she cleared up her work and fled to the safety of the Gryffindor common room.

* * *

Pansy was waiting for him, when Draco arrived back in the common room just before lunch. He knew she would want to finish their argument and he sighed under his breath when she stepped out of the shadows, a furious expression on her face.

"Pansy, please… I cant be bothered with your petty tantrums anymore," he warned he, slinging his bag onto the low coffee table in the centre of the common room and flopping elegantly into an armchair. Pansy glowered at him. It was remarkable how she could look so beautiful even when she wanted to tear his limbs off.

"Draco, you promised me one thing this year. One tiny thing. That I was to be your first priority at all times. Now you're disappearing off to France or Bulgaria! How is this upholding your end of the bargain?" she snapped, furiously tossing her mane of black hair.

Draco stopped being fascinated by her and retorted.

"Bargain? What bargain is this? I made you a promise, which I fully intend to keep and you promised me nothing. Where's this bargain you're so keen on highlighting?"

"I promised to love you. It went without saying," she hissed back, folding her arms across her chest, drawing his attention to her low cut neckline. Nice play, Pansy, he praised her mentally.

"Ah yes, this love thing, your always talking about. Now then, let me set you straight. You do not love me, just the things I can give you, the status, the security, and the envious stares. You know that just as well as I do. And about this _promise_ I made to you. How does my leaving for a month affect it in any way, shape or form, hmm?"

He watched in amusement as pansy glared at him angrily for a few minutes, then slowly began to regain her composure.

"You're right…" she said eventually, "I'm sorry," she added. Draco smirked. He knew that she was lying her way back into his favour, but then it's what she always did. He knew her weakness. She was so afraid of losing her connection to him and his power, that she would bend to his will no matter what.

He watched as she sauntered across the room towards him now, admiring her slender frame and exquisite face. She threw a leg either side of him, straddling him, not caring that there were other people in the common room, all watching, all envious, and kissed him deeply.

"You are always my first priority," he reassured her, as she trailed kisses down his throat and felt her smile against his skin.

"I'm glad to hear it," she replied, then added, "And I will always love your wealth, status and the envious stares…"

Draco chuckled and allowed her to finish her apology.


End file.
